In the Samvat year 1882, on Kãrtik sud 11 [21st November 1825], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a cushion with a cylindrical pillow that had been placed on a sinhãsan in the mango grove along the banks of Lake Gomti on the north side of the mandir of Shree Lakshmi-Nãrãyan in Vadtãl. He was wearing a white survãl and a white angarkhu. He had also tied a dark coloured reto around His waist. A red reto with edges decorated with golden threads was tied around His head, and another red reto with a brocaded border was resting upon His shoulder. In addition to this, a garland of roses was hanging around His neck, tassels of roses had been placed upon His head, and bãjubandh and gajarã had been tied around His arms. Beautifully adorned in this manner, Shreeji Mahãrãj sat facing north, while a sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, gathered before Him.
At that time, Shobhã-Rãm Shãstri of Vadodarã asked Shreeji Mahãrãj a question: “Mahãrãj, when a mumukshu attains nirvikalp samãdhi, he becomes gunãtit and an ekãntik bhakta of Bhagvãn. What, then, becomes of one who does not attain nirvikalp samãdhi?”
Thereupon, Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “It is not the case that Nirvikalp samãdhi is attained only when the prãns are controlled. There is another way to attain nirvikalp samãdhi, which I shall explain to you; so, please listen carefully.
“The Shreemad Bhãgvat states:
atra sargo visargash-cha sthãnam poshanam-utayaha manvanta-reshãnu-katha nirodho muktir-ãshrayaha
“This verse explains that when a mumukshu establishes a firm conviction of Shree Krishna Bhagvãn - who is worthy of being taken the refuge of and who can be realised through the nine characteristics of sarg, visarg, etc. - then he will never have a doubt. For example, once one has firmly realised that this is a mango tree, then even if one is overcome by kãm, krodh and lobh, he will not entertain any doubts such as, ‘Is this a mango tree or not?’ In the same manner, regardless of whether one has controlled his prãns or not, if one has firm belief of the pratyaksha svarup of Shree Krishna Bhagvãn – without any forms of doubt whatsoever – then he has attained nirvikalp samãdhi.
“However, someone may repeatedly have doubts in his mind about Bhagvãn’s nature. For example, he may think, ‘What must Bhagvãn’s svarup be like in Brahmpur? What must His svarup be like in Shvet-Dvip and Vaikunth? When will I have the darshan of that svarup?’ He continues to harbour such doubts in his mind, but he does not feel fulfilled by realising that the pratyaksha svarup of Bhagvãn that he has attained is alone the cause of everything. Even if he attains samãdhi by Bhagvãn’s wish, his doubts are never eradicated. No matter what he sees in samãdhi, he always desires to see something new; never are the desires of his mind subdued. Even if such a person experiences samãdhi, it is savikalp samãdhi; and even if he does not experience samãdhi, it is still savikalp samãdhi. Therefore, such a person cannot be called a gunãtit, ekãntik bhakta. One who does have firm nishchay in Bhagvãn, regardless of whether he has samãdhi or not, can be said to have constant nirvikalp samãdhi.”
Then, Dinã-Nãth Bhatt asked, “What will become of one who, despite attempting to eradicate the desires in his mind, fails to conquer the mind?”
Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “As the war between the Kauravs and the Pãndavs was set to begin, the Kauravs and the Pãndavs thought, ‘Let us engage in the battle in such a holy place that even if one is killed in the fighting, one's jeev will still benefit.’ With this thought in mind, they eventually fought at Kurukshetra. Thereafter, those who won obviously benefited. Those who were killed in the battle though, attained Dev-Lok, and obtained happiness greater than that of ruling over a kingdom.
